Does anyone else here like religious Xmas carols?

[NastyRiffraff]

I like many of them better than most non-religious ones, and I am an atheist. The music is generally better (think O Holy Night vs I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause.

Of course, there are exceptions. If I hear Little Drummer Boy one more time I'm going to hurt something.

[Arugula Latte]

1. I'm not big on either type of song, but I do think O Holy Night has a beautiful melody.

But, yeah, the secular ones are just grating and annoying, for the most part. "It's Christmas Time for the Jews" is an awesome one, though:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1373


On Christmas Eve, The Gentiles gather
Around the Christmas Tree
They stay at home, and party with
Their Goyishe family

They disappear one day each year
And pass the egg nog 'round
But it's all right
Because that's the night
The Jews control the town

Well, this happens every year on Christmas Eve
All the happy Christian people take their leave
Yeah, the streets are deserted and that's big news
It's Christmas Time for the Jews

The holiday party starts about 6pm
Ain't nobody recreating Bethlehem
Yeah the Three Wise Men, that's a big old snooze
It's Christmas Time for the Jews

They can finally see King Kong without waiting in line
They can eat in Chinatown and drink their sweet ass wine
They can crank Barbra Streisand on the streets they cruise
It's Christmas Time for the Jews

They can gang up on the Quakers
Play for the Lakers
They can do what they wanna
Even blow off Madonna
Get a chance to drive a tractor
Win on Fear Factor
See Fiddler On The Roof with actual Jewish actors

Now, they really get the party goin' after dark
Circumcizing grateful squirrels in the city park
Picking fights in the bar knowing they can't lose
It's Christmas Time for the Jews

Now it's nearly 10:30
Yes, it's time for bed
Daily Show reruns dancin' in their heads
Maybe next year they'll learn how to hold their booze
It's Christmas Time for the Jews

[AlbertCat]

32. O Holy Night is by Adolfe Adam....

..... who also wrote the ballet "Giselle". Adam is not a GREAT composer, but well liked in his day. Nice carol!

As for secular ones.... "Deck the halls" is Handel....with whom you can hardly go wrong.


Is it fair to compare classical composers and pop artists?

I like some kinda obscure carols... like "Lo How A Rose Ere Blooming"... a carol very popular during the Civil War.

Here's an obscure one! Bach's duet written to be inserted in his Magnificat" when done at Christmas (as opposed to Easter...when you'd leave it out.)

It is dominated by the Soprano and Bass singing long intertwining melisma, no doubt representing "Jesse's vine" growing and blooming. But don't forget to listen to the cello and organ. In Bach, everyone plays a different interesting tune....at the same time. It's in Latin.

Virga Jesse floruit,
Emanuel noster apparuit;
induit carnem hominis,
fit puer delectabilis.
Alleluia!

The vine of Jesse has blossomed,
Our Emanuel has appeared;
He has put on human flesh,
And become a delightful child.
Alleluia!

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Oh Night..... Di......... VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No.



(Kidding. I like. Some of 'em anyway.)

[Iggo]

3. Religious ones kick ass over the santa claus ones.

And it's not just xmas music. I like a lot of religious music, whether it's classical or old-timey or soul or whatever. I really love a song where the emotion shines through, and religious songs sung by true believers are hard to beat. That's just a fact.

Ave Maria (the Schubert one with the Hail Mary in Latin for lyrics) might be my overall favorite song of all time. I have at least three different versions on my iPod that I can think of off the top of my head. It's about the prettiest thing I've ever heard.

[NastyRiffraff]

10. LOVE Schubert's Ave Maria

I saw Peggy Fleming figure skating to it. I actually wept.

[OriginalGeek]

31. Id'a gone to church to see this lady play

And yeah, I love christmas music.

[Rainforestgoddess]

4. Sure do!

They can be such beautiful music. Lots of art and music was created for the church. Doesn't take away from the beauty, even if I don't believe in the reason behind it.

[frogmarch]

5. I like them too.

I think they're lots better than Santa songs and songs like "Silver bells, silver bells, it's xmastime in the city..." and "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...." and "Have yourself a merry little Christmas..."

The xmas song I hate most is "Little Drummer Boy."

[Curmudgeoness]

13. Oh no! I love those songs.

Silver bells, Chestnuts, White Christmas, etc.

But I will admit the Little Drummer Boy goes back to my childhood....it was my favorite Christmas song, probably because I related to the poor kid who had nothing to give. But at this point, I only want to hear it once in the season. Actually I only want to hear any of them once in the season.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. How anyone could object to this version of Oh Holy Night surpasses all understanding.

Perfect with headphones or at loud volume.
Bjorling is the perfect tenor, IMHO.

Tho I do think Johnny Mathis' version is a very close 2nd.

[NastyRiffraff]

9. A thing of beauty...

Thanks for posting that.

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. He was of a rare magnificence.

Makes my heart weep when I hear him.
glad you liked his voice.

[onager]

7. Let me fix "O Holy Night" for you...

Just Google "O Holy Night Steve Mauldin."

For those who've never experienced it - this thing is an Internet legend. Well, at least a small Internet legend.

Mr. Mauldin's version is so ear-shatteringly, mind-stunningly awful, some people accused him of being an atheist trying to make Xians look bad.

They were half right. Mr. Mauldin is a devout Xian, and a producer of religious music based in Nashville. But he was trying to make some Xians look bad.

Every Xmas season, Mr. Mauldin had to deal with egotists and prima-donnas who INSISTED on getting up in public and singing "O Holy Night." But that's not an easy song to sing, and most of those people sucked at singing it. Even though they believed just the opposite.

With this wonderful Xmas gift to the world, Mr. Mauldin was trying to show those people what they REALLY sounded like.

[cynatnite]

8. Yes and I'm still an atheist....

I like a lot of religious themed works whether it's music or art.

Inspired religious works can be exceptionally beautiful and I see nothing wrong with acknowledging and enjoying it.

[Heddi]

11. What's a Jingle Horse?

I hate that fucking song

[ShadowLiberal]

12. I used to not mind Xmas music, but now I actively avoid it

Years ago I didn't mind Christmas music, religious and nonreligious kinds. They were certainly not as good as the stuff the radio station normally played, but not horrible.

But the last few years, I've just become sick of both religious and nonreligious Christmas music for a few reasons.

1) The radio stations here frequently start playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving. I don't want to think about Christmas before then.

2) The radio station I normally listen to seems fond of playing 4 or 5 versions of the EXACT same song, like Jingle Bells, but sang by different people. Come on radio station, how about some variety, pick the best singer of Jingle Bells and other classics and only play that. I don't want to hear Jingle Bells 2 or 3 times on my 40 minute commute to and from work.

3) A lot of the Christmas songs I hear have kids doing a bunch of the singing. And while that might sound cute to some, professional singers just do a better job at singing.

[cynatnite]

23. I listen to a local classic rock station that plays zero holiday music...

From time to time I switch to another station that's playing nothing but holiday music when I'm in the mood. Sometimes I just punch in the hardest rock I can find.

It's great that there are a lot more music options than back in the old days. I got sick of Wham's Xmas music back in the day. Blech.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. Religioius music, just like religious art,

has often been high quality....since the church often was the patron for the artists and composers. And they were the only ones with all the money.

[ScottLand]

15. I love good music. I don't care if it's a bit religious.

I can listen to O Holy Night and then to Yellow Submarine.

[progressoid]

17. Stille Nacht

[TxDemChem]

18. I love them.

Sometimes theyrics are beautiful (even with the Xian imagery) and sometimes the music itself is great.

[eShirl]

19. of possible interest: timeline of carols, color coded by religious, commercial, secular

http://www.robweir.com/blog/2010/12/earliest-christmas-carol.html

[CrispyQ]

22. Thanks. That was interesting.

Love your avatar!

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Some go back further still

eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personent_hodie - tune and words published 1582. This is one of my favourites - it must be accompanied by an organ giving it full welly, with as many singers as can keep together (there are a lot of weedy versions on YouTube by American choirs that aren't worth listening to). A reasonable effort, by the choir of my old college, but still a bit slow:

And it's best in the original Latin, because that gives you phrases like 'princeps infernorum'. Plus, as schoolboys, "Perdidit, dit, dit" is hilariously easily to mispronounce on purpose.

[CrispyQ]

20. I love Christmas Carols! Not all of them, but most of them. I like the ones in minor key best.

God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen is one of my all time faves. It so lyrical.

[brooklynite]

21. I can't list to the "24-hour modern Christmas music" stations...

The traditional carols and instrumentals are great. We go out caroling at least once a season.

[cynatnite]

24. Loreena McKennitt does some beautiful holiday music...

It's fantastic stuff. The Piano Guys does some decent Christmas stuff as well.

Celtic Christmas music is particularly beautiful.

[Act_of_Reparation]

25. I don't necessarily object to music of any inspiration...

If the composition and performance is good, I can appreciate a piece for what it is, if not for the message it is trying to convey.

I was raised with classical music, and I am still enormously fond of Bach. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is a brilliant piece of music, and, for me, the subject matter doesn't detract.

[onager]

27. Just heard the real story behind "Silver Bells..."

While listening to the radio. Yes, one of those 24-hr Xmas stations. I'm getting myself in the Xmasy mood before my annual holiday trip to the Deep South next week.

Anyway, the story: one of the songwriters of "Silver Bells" came home and told his wife that he and his writing partner had finished a fantastic Xmas song. Inspired by Xmas in New York City, with lots of great imagery: city sidewalks, stoplights and shop lights, etc. etc,

The wife liked the song, and asked what they were calling it.

"Well, we have a great title! We're calling it...Tinkle Bells!"

The wife collapsed in laughter and said: "No, you're not. Don't you know what 'tinkle' means to every kid in the United States? Your song will be a laughing-stock. Change that title immediately!" So they did, and the rest is history.

Since I'm here...one of my favorite Xmas songs is "Have Yourself A Merry Little Xmas." I think of it as a Xmas song for grown-ups. No religious BS, no Santas or incandescent reindeer proboscis. And no blowing tinsel up our butts about how the wondrous Xmas season will change everything forever. Just a quiet realization that things will go on pretty much as usual after the holidays, and we'll all just have to "muddle thru somehow."

[uriel1972]

28. My lack of God!!! No No NO NO.

I was in a brass band we would practice them for months and then play them for months Arrgh NO never again never never never. Did I mention I don't like them?

[pokerfan]

29. Vince Guaraldi

[EvolveOrConvolve]

30. I like Gary Hoey's stuff

[Bryce Butler]

33. I only like religious Xmas songs

that are played without any lyrics. My favorite Xmas song is "The 12 Pains of Christmas" :p

[WhollyHeretic]

34. I like all types of Christmas music though Little Drummer Boy may be my least favorite song of any

type.

[Delmette]

35. I'll be home for Christmas.

It must have been 1969 and my three brothers were all in the military, none of them would be home for Christmas. I cried and cried when I heard the phrase "if only in my dreams". I adored my big brothers and missed them terribly. Christmas has lost it's magic little by little ever since. No regrets.